‘I think I can easily say it was the worst day of my life,’ I told her. I was dying to ask her something, but was afraid of what she’d say.

‘I can’t imagine! What awful girls to say such things!’

‘Do you think she’s right?’ I burst out.

Her brow furrowed. ‘What?’

The words were physical objects in my mouth—hot and sharp. ‘Do you think she’s right about me being fat and disgusting. I know I’m fat and . . .’

‘No!’ Nisha said immediately, shaking her head. ‘No.’

I felt a moment’s relief but doubt came plaguing me again. Nisha was my best friend. She would never say anything to hurt me, even if it was the truth. Which meant that she was not the best person to ask this question. I covered my face with my hands, shaking my head.

‘Listen, what she said was awful. You are fat but you’re not disgusting. Why would you be?’ Nisha reassured me.

Even if she had been lying, it felt good to hear it.

Some months later, I heard that Raghu’s parents got divorced. I felt bad for him. But things had changed between us, and when he and Aunty V came to visit some days later, I couldn’t look at him without remembering that moment under the table. I did my best to avoid him and I counted the days until he would leave so my life could go back to normal.

Our parents didn’t notice—they were too obsessed with what was happening in their own lives, whatever it was. Only in hindsight, I now realize that it was probably the time Ma had that miscarriage. Aunty V had probably come to help out Ma then. I had been as clueless about their lives as they had been clueless about the upheaval in mine.

What soured Raghu and my friendship beyond repair was that I discovered he and Esha had started dating.

One day, the lift was not working. As I climbed the stairs, I heard Esha giggling to Tara in the stairwell about how Raghu had sought her out and had asked if she would be his girlfriend. The echoes in the stairwell made their whispers audible.

It was a moment of pure horror, as great as the one in the clubhouse.

‘But doesn’t he live in Mumbai?’ Tara whispered.

‘So what?’ Esha asked defiantly.

‘And what about Ananya?’ she asked.

‘Who? Ms Piggy? Fat Ananya’s got nothing to do with this,’ Esha’s laughter tinkled.